The View Up Here

Fairport, NY I have long held a fascination with liminal spaces. I know it was a trending thing online with clipping videos and creepy pictures of empty offices, but my interest goes far back to my childhood, probably fueled by The Twilight Zone's "The After Hours"  episode.  The mall at closing when there are hardly any shoppers, the gates are down on many stores, and the music echoes in empty spaces. Or train tracks at night with ghostly lights waiting for the next train. Storage facilities with security lights showing you the place you aren't allowed to enter. School hallways during summer vacation.  You know, that kind of thing. Temporary digs  However, living in a liminal space isn't as cool, nor does it promote some vague, quasi-nostalgic, pleasant-yet-edgy response.  Such is my current living situation, albeit temporarily. "But Elena, you're in Korea!" Yes, I'm in Korea, but I'm also staying in a hotel for another week until the apartm...

not an ad for Delta Today is my first full day in Ulsan, my new home. And by "new" I mean the 2nd time around. I lived here from 2002-2003 and visited twice more. Then in 2024, I made a pilgrimage to the sites of the Korean Catholic martyrs  which included a week in Ulsan. It was then that I realized I could easily call this place home. (You can read about my Korea Dreambus film screening here!) The process of getting ready to apply for a visa began months before I even had a job offer. The job search was also months long, and the position I accepted came out of the blue. I'd applied for several teaching positions at a variety of institutions and programs, and even interviewed for two university jobs. None of that worked. But the job I took was exactly where I want to be, and although it's teaching in a hagwan (private after-school academy), the conditions are exemplary and the couple that owns the academy are solid. So here's a bit of a rundown on the last 48 h...

I haven't blogged here at all in the last year because I've been over on my  Korea Dreambus: A Journey of Faith blog . As I stare into the last two hours and twenty minutes of 2025, I'm filled with gratitude and amazement. This past year has brought so many new beginnings and opportunities that I need to mark them down in one place. I am extremely fortunate to have been awarded grant money from the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for my documentary film on my pilgrimage to the holy sites of the Korean Catholic Martyrs. Korea Dreambus is now just about done with a few minor edits and some sound work to go. I worked with two different editors, which was a challenge but which ultimately enriched the project. My public screening will be held on Jan. 17, 2026 at St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry.   We screened SOULED , my short film, in April of this year in Elmira. It was a great turnout, and I was so excited to finally share it. The film was a se...

When God’s timing doesn’t seem to match our own, it can feel frustrating, maybe even like we’ve been abandoned by God. A good father doesn’t abandon his own, does he? In those moments, we must look to the promises God has made through his Word. Second week of Advent He promised that he is always near to us: “Our God is near us whenever we pray to him” (Deuteronomy 4:7) and “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (Jn 14:23). Feeling crushed by the weight of circumstances, waiting for the solution to come or the resolution to be made clear, we can sometimes tighten our grip on the situation. However, the exact opposite is called for: to loosen our grip and surrender everything to Christ, trusting that he is with us, as he promised, “to the end of the age.” If we wait for his perfect timing, will will draw closer to him. And his solution is always so much more perfect than anything we could come up with! As ...

Over the last six months, I spent most of my blogging time on the  KoreaDreambus site , rather neglecting The View Up Here, but now we're ready for some updates!  Quit the circulation half of my newspaper job in the first half of the year -- totally liberating! I continued to have problems with my shoulder from the poor work station I had, but it's been on the mend more recently. Spent the summer arranging a pilgrimage trip to Korea and preparing to make a film about the Korean Catholic martyrs.  Bought a camera package (pre-owned) and a new iPhone for the pilgrimage film. I am now in the process of sorting, transferring, and cataloging over 3,000 media clips and photos! I've also been prepping my MacBook Air to do some basic video editing, for which it's not optimal, but it will have to do for now. I got a new external drive to help with media storage.  Re-named "Dreamhouse," my short film shot in October of 2023 to "Souled." IMDb page is up but nee...

Walkway in Fairport, NY I know I haven't been writing here as much.. mostly I'm working on my Korea Dreambus site and my new Patreon page .  I have to admit that the Patreon is new for me, so I'm still trying to figure out how to best utilize it. But the good news is that I have a lot more of my itinerary nailed down, I've made a good connection to help me on the ground in Korea, and I've raised $1,300 to help me with this pilgrimage and film project. Head over to the website to catch up with my updates and musings, and then to my Patreon for a membership to see videos and other content! If you have prayer intentions you'd like me to bring with me to Korea, please contact me with those or leave in the comments. Half way through summer... please, God, let the second half of summer feel as gloriously long as the first half has done!